


About Dogs and Other Creatures

by Twriter470



Series: The Many Curses Of Theodore Raeken [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cursed Theo Raeken, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Full Shift Werewolves, He cannot turn back, Humor, Hurt Theo Raeken, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Theo is afraid of dogs, Theo on a leash, Wolf Theo Raeken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:42:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29720874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twriter470/pseuds/Twriter470
Summary: Theo pisses off a witch. Liam is left dealing with what is left of Theo. Theo is not amused.OR: Theo gets stuck in his wolf form and cannot turn back. He's forced to deal with Liam, some dog jokes and an amused Pack of course. Will he learn his lesson in the end?
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: The Many Curses Of Theodore Raeken [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184300
Comments: 28
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What is it with me and the cursed!Theo?? I just LOVE to torment him :P This work is a part of the cursed!Theo-series. It has nothing to do with my work "Heartless" though. Anyway, please let me know what you think of it so far. I LOVE comments, even more than kudos. And I also answer each of them, so ...

“Tell me again who this Amanda person is?”, Theo raised his eyebrow, his upper lip curling up in annoyance. And he wasn't even trying to hide the fact that Liam's new friend the beta met during his summer vacation already began to annoy the hell out of him. And he didn't even met her yet.

“Chill, Theo”, Liam rolled his eyes at the chimera's dramatics. “She's really cool, I think you gonna like her”

Theo wasn't so sure about it. Not only had been he forced to meet Liam's new “girlfriend”, but he also had been forced to drive the stubborn beta to the airport to take her home – the very home that Liam and Theo were living at. And Theo didn't like the idea of another person invading Liam's – and now also his – family at all.

Upon seeing the chimera's crestfallen expression Liam gave him an amused look.

“Look, everything's fine. It's not like she'll be staying here for a whole year or something. She'll only be guesting a week”

Theo's eyes grew wide.

“A week?? A WHOLE FUCKING WEEK?!!”, he roared. Unbelievable! He really wasn't ready to share Liam with anybody else. Not with some random girl the beta barely knew at least.

“Hey, calm down already”, Liam deadpanned, looking bored. “We're here”.

*****

“Hi Amanda! Come over here!”, the beta waved cheerfully, causing Theo to roll his eyes. What even was his life now?

A tall slim girl, not older than 17, smiled back at the duo, after spotting them in the crowd. Her brown hair was at middle length, freely falling onto her shoulder in curly waves. Theo sneered, eyeing Liam, who without any doubt was making heart eyes at the newcomer. Just fucking perfect!

“Here, let me help you”, the beta offered like the love slave he so obviously was, once seeing the huge plastic suitcase she was shoving in front of her. Theo inwardly snorted. Who the hell is taking so many clothes for just a week with him??? Maybe she was trying very hard to look pretty for Liam. Hell, Theo was already beginning to dislike her from the bottom of his stolen heart.

But the chimera began to dislike the girl even more, once his gaze fell onto a small brown dachshund. This caused the chimera to stop in his tracks. He hated dogs. He couldn't deal with them. No. Nope. Not happening!

As if sensing Theo's dismay, the dog threw the chimera a hateful look of its own and bared its very sharp teeth at him. Theo growled back and subtly flashed his eyes. But the dog didn't even blink. It just continued to scowl at the chimera, infuriating the latter one even more.

“Theo, for God's sake, could you help us just a little, or are you going to continue your eye battle with this poor innocent dachshund??”, Liam huffed.

Theo threw him a disbelieving look. Liam could be so dense sometimes!

“Innocent? INNOCENT! This scary thing here is baring its teeth at me, Liam! Look just how sharp they are! This dog clearly doesn't like me, and I haven't even DONE anything!!”, he pouted.

“Excuse me if I'm being rude”, Amanda scowled, aggressively eying the chimera. “But Flakes hasn't done anything to you either. He just senses when people don't like him, so he's throwing it right back at you. Liam, honey, you didn't tell me your friend here was a dog hater”.

And OH that WAS it! Theo was officially done with this shit!

“You know what? I was just going to try to be nice to you”, Theo said in a bitchy tone, “But since you're going to be bitching around here and not respecting my dismay for dogs, you can as well go ahead and take the bus. I don't deal with dogs. I am REFUSING to drive a dog in my car. They are filthy cunning little things!”

Liam inhaled sharply, already looking for a fitting spot on the chimera's face that he was going to punch him on once they got home.

“Theo!! Don't be rude to our guest! Apologize RIGHT NOW!”, he hissed. He was already beginning to turn read in embarrassment for Theo's childish behavior. If Amanda noticed he had an asshole as a friend, what would she think about Liam himself? Obviously not much. And here he was planning on making a good impression on her. THANKS, THEO.

But Theo just snorted dismissively. “I'm NOT gonna apologize to HER”, he hissed back, pointing an accusing finger towards Amanda, and then at the dog. “I'm NOT taking this creature of hell into the car, no mister!”

Liam snarled. “DUDE, what the hell crawled up your ass and died there today?? Since when do you even have a problem with dogs?!”

Theo's eyes turned to angry slits. “I ALWAYS have had it. They scare the SHIT out of me!”

And OH. He really didn't what to share this very personal information with anyone. Especially with Liam. This was embarrassing.

There was a pause. Then suddenly Liam began to laugh hysterically.

“Duuude”, he cackled. “A-are you SERIOUS r-right now?!”

Theo began to fume. He was going to MURDER the beta for making fun of his very real childhood fears. Him and the dog. Yep, he made up his mind. He just needed to get them somewhere less crowded and then -

“Hey Liam, it's ok”, Amanda suddenly said in a sweet voice, all trace of anger suddenly being gone. Theo narrowed his eyes at her. Something here wasn't right. “I'm just gonna take the bus and get a hotel room, ok? You guys need to sleep over it and clear up your situation. I don't wanna be in the middle of an argument. This is just getting ridiculous.”

With that, she gave Liam a weak smile and headed into another direction, ignoring the beta's calls of protest.

And her retreat felt like victory to Theo. He grinned evilly. The game was on, BITCH! Little did he know what was awaiting him in the morning ...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, since I have some free time now, here is the second chapter already. I REALLY need to get it out of my system I guess. Enjoy! :)

Liam woke up to some strange noises. In his half-asleep state he still couldn't detect what it was. But the fact is it was really annoying. He cringed slightly, lazily turning towards his nightstand and taking his smartphone to look at the time. It was only 6 am. _Really now? ?_ He really should go back to sleep. Especially given the fact that he still had a whole week of summer vacation left. But the noises downstairs grew only louder and louder. _J_ _ust what in the hell was that??_

Just as Liam was about to put his phone back, something else caught his eye. The small display was showing a message from Amanda. She's written it yesterday shortly before midnight. Huh. The beta opened the message.

_“Hi Liam ... Look, I'm so sorry, but I really don't think it's gonna work out with us. Theo really doesn't seem to like me and I've noticed the way he was looking at you yesterday ... Believe me or not, but he really seems to like YOU. So I don't want to be a third wheel there or something. Goodbye Liam, have a good life.”_

For what seemed to be the longest minute in his life Liam stared stupidly at the screen. _What_? Just ... WHAT?? Why the hell would she dump him right now? And why the hell would she think there was something going on between him and Theo?? He didn't know about Theo, but the beta himself definitely wasn't into guys, so ...

Still it made him start thinking. Has he maybe been missing some signs all this time? Because ... I mean ... Theo surely didn't like him that way, did he now?

But by this time the noises downstairs were getting loud enough to interrupt Liam's musings for good now.

“What the HELL??”, he yelled exasperated, but also somewhat scared now. Had someone broken it or something?

He creeped down the stairs warily, and stopped right there, eyeing the sight in front of him in a slight surprise.

Right in front of the entrance door there was a large black dog standing. Wait, NOT a dog. Rather a wolf. The wolf was scratching impatiently at the wooden door, now whining pathetically.

Liam furrowed his brow.

“THEO??”

Upon hearing its name the wolf turned to Liam and threw him his most desperate look.

“Um ... Theo, why are you in your wolf form? And WHAT THE HELL are you doing with my door?? Look how many scratches you've left there already! Mom is gonna KILL me!”, the beta hissed under his breath, not wanting to wake up the said parent with all the yelling.

But Theo was having non of it. If anything, he began to wail only louder, scratching at the door once again.

Liam REALLY didn't know what to think out of it.

“Wait ... “, a sudden idea popped into his head. “Are you trying to say you wanna go for a walk? Why can't you just turn back and go to the toilet like a normal human being??” And really now, the beta just REALLY couldn't understand Theo sometimes.

The wolf sneered at that, showing its teeth. It came towards Liam then, tugging on his jeans from behind and shoving him towards the door.

Liam huffed, his arms on his hips now. If Theo wanted to be a child and fool around, he as well could play this game too. He wondered how long it would take for the stubborn chimera to break his character.

“You know I can't let you go all by yourself out there, right?”, he told him with a smirk. “There are many joggers at this hour, and just imagine what they all are gonna think once they see an overgrown dog that looks dangerous enough to attack anyone. So whether you like it or not, if you really wanna go outside now, I'm gonna put a leash on you and walk you myself”.

Theo let out a loud and dangerous growl, causing Liam to grin even wider. _If only looks could kill_ , he thought gleefully.

And just when he was beginning to think Theo would get completely angry and just give up his act, the wolf suddenly gave one last pitiful whine and lowered his head onto his front paws in an act of submission. The whole gesture was followed by a sour scent of shame and embarrassment. Liam nearly choked in surprise.

“ _Wait_ ”, he croaked. “Are you _SERIOUS_ now? You really want me to put a leash on you and lead you outside??”. His brain wasn't working right now properly, still proceeding this shocking information. _Just what was Theo playing at here?_ But then again, maybe he really WASN'T. Liam had just witnessed how hard it had been for the chimera to submit to Liam's not really seriously meant request. But all in all, that also was the truth. If anyone outside was going to witness a dangerous looking creature like Theo in his wolf form, they certainly would have Liam arrested.

“Ok”, the beta signed, taking pity on the chimera. “Whatever is going on, we're gonna deal with it later. If you really wanna go outside now though, I'm gonna go and look for a leash now. We'll be going to the park. You're NOT pissing in our garden, just so you know”.

The wolf just nodded slightly, his fluffy ears pressing flat against his head.

With one last bewildered glance Liam retreated into the back of his house, looking for the old leash that once belonged to his long lost dog Dennis. He silently swore to himself to murder Theo in his sleep if he found out this whole thing had been in fact just an act. But what if not? What if Theo just wasn't ABLE to turn back into his human form?

If that was the case, they REALLY had a problem there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think please?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm officially bored today, and this is the result :P

“C'mon, Theo, don't be ridiculous”, Liam huffed, forcefully pulling Theo on the leash towards Scott's house. “You know that we don't have a choice. I gave you enough time to change your mind and turn back into human, but either you really have an internal crisis right now, or there's something really wrong going on here. The only one who can help is Scott. 'Cause I've really ran out of any ideas right now”.

The black wolf wasn't even listening. Placing both of his front paws stubbornly into the ground, he continued to try to pull back with all of his might, eyeing the entrance door of Scott's home like it personally offended him. Gosh, what was his life now?? Not only couldn't he turn back into human again, but now he was also being forced to present himself in his wolf form in front of the whole pack. This thought made him feel strangely vulnerable, because he hasn't ever let them see him like this at all. Apart from the one time he made Liam reveal himself in front of Mason maybe. But that was ages ago. So besides of that, only Liam knew Theo could do a full shift.

And what was even worse than all of that, was the fact that he was led on a leash. ON A FUCKING DOG LEASH! It was just fucking embarrassing. And he didn't even like dogs. He wondered how dumb Liam was to not have already figured out that this strange Amanda bitch has done something to him. Just because he said he didn't like dogs. Or maybe just because her stupid dachshund Flakes had some weird problem with the chimera. He had KNOWN back there something was wrong once she retreated yesterday. She had given up suspiciously quickly.

But Liam – damn him – was physically stronger somehow. So in the end Theo had to give up his struggling and come along with the beta – unless he wanted to suffocate himself on this damn degrading dog collar.

“Come in!”, they heard, once Liam knocked on the door. And Theo was already bracing himself for the worst.

And worst it was. Sitting there on the couch were Stiles, Lydia, Malia, Mason and Corey, with Scott standing not a meter away. All of them were gawking at Theo now. Just fucking PERFEKT. He really felt like a species shown off at the zoo now.

“WHOLY SHIT, why is there a WOLF with you?!”, Stiles shrieked and actually sounded like a girl. Theo snorted, unamused.

Liam paled slightly, while exchanging a worried look with the wolf. _Well, idiot, what have you been expecting was gonna happen?_ Theo thought angrily. It's not like the pack was just gonna except the fact there was a large black wolf standing there in the middle of Scott's living room.

“Wait a minute”, Mason dragged out slowly, narrowing his eyes at the chimera in suspicion. “I've seen that dog already”. _What now? He was NOT a dog, thank you very much!_ “It was the one who chased us at school, remember?”

There were several whispers coming from the pack, everybody proceeding the information.

Liam feigned a nonchalant look. The pack really needed to know now, if he wanted their help with all this .. dog problem.

“Oh yeah ... Well, you're not wrong. This WAS him indeed. This is Theo”, he blurted out.

A few more gasps could be heard. And poor Theo wished the ground would swallow him up and send him back to his sister.

“Oh my god, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT WAS HIM.”, Mason finally exclaimed, shaking his head at the chimera in disbelief. “I mean, I CAN somehow, because it's still Theo, who is unpredictable and all, but still ... HOLY SHIT, since when can he do a full shift? Not even Malia can do that”. At this, Malia let out an angry growl, apparently not liking being compared to Theo.

“No Theo, you stay RIGHT THERE”, Liam shouted, once noticing that the said chimera was trying to retreat once again, already eyeing the door with a dreamy gaze. Stiles snickered.

“So Theo is a dog now and you treat him just like this? Wait, is he LISTENING to you? I just can't imagine him coming to a pack meeting on a leash”, he cackled. Theo growled at him loudly and shot him a murderous look, causing the latter one to laugh even harder. That WAS IT. He was gonna kill Stiles too now, once he got out of his dilemma here. The list of his potential victims seemed to be growing longer and longer today.

“Theo, behave! We're here to help you!”. _Oh Liam, sweet poor Liam, you are SO digging a grave for yourself right now_ , Theo thought, seething.

“Wait, _help_? I guess this is why you called out for a meeting today. Why is Theo a wolf anyway?”, Scott finally asked, taking pity on the growling Theo and putting an end to Stiles' taunting. _THANK you, Scott._

“Um ..”, Liam muttered, looking at the wolf one more time. “Actually Theo can turn into a wolf because the Dread Doctors made him this way”, he answered lamely.

“Oh”, Scott breathed out in surprise. “Why haven't I known this?”, he muttered under his breath. _'Cause you're not my Alpha, you moron_ , Theo snorted inwardly.

“I guess he didn't want you to know?”, Liam spoke for him. “But today morning, when I woke up, he was sitting there in his wolf form and now he's refusing to turn back into human. This is what I initially have been thinking at least. Now I'm not sure anymore. I think something might be preventing him from doing so”.

_Not something, SOMEONE, you idiot!_ Theo was finally losing his mind now. He couldn't even communicate with Liam properly anymore. Not even by punching him in the face. If he could, he would gladly have done that like at least twenty times by now.

“So, what you 're trying to tell us is that Theo isn't able to turn back, even if he wanted? And this is the case since today morning? Did anything weird happen recently? Maybe you've noticed something?”, Lydia stated slowly, curiously observing the chimera.

_C'mon, Liam, think_ , Theo whined inwardly. At this point he would do anything to just reverse this damn spell that Amanda (who clearly was a witch) has put on him.

“I don't know”, Liam furrowed his eyebrows. "We didn't do anything special. .. Except ... Well, I made Theo drive us to the airport yesterday, to meet Amanda. The girl I met on my summer trip, remember? I've told you about her”, he finished, his eyes gone dreamy at the thought of the girl.

Theo let out a loud and malicious growl at that. Indicating Liam that he was close to the truth.

But Liam just threw the wolf an exasperated look, clearly mistaking his aggressive reaction for a simple distaste for Amanda.

“Oh yeah”, he smirked, looking back at the pack. “Theo kind of chased her away. I don't know why, but he began to dislike her even before he met her, and then he turned against her dog and offended her with that. In his own words, the poor little dachshund was having a problem with Theo, so Theo had refused to take it into his car, sending Amanda on a bus instead. So Amanda just left”

There were several giggles coming from the pack now, followed by Stiles' retort of _“He's just been protecting what belonged to him”_ , which really didn't make any sense to Liam.

“Wait”, Mason exclaimed suddenly, his eyes already lightening up in realization. “You said he chased her away? By offending her with his distaste for her dog? Duuude, how dense are you?? That makes PERFECT SENSE!”

Liam looked even more confused now. _Oh boy_.

“What do you mean?”, he croaked. What did he miss here?

“Well, don't you get the irony? Theo the dog hater gets turned into a dog himself after offending someone you barely even know. This Amanda girl you met is clearly a _witch_ , Liam!”

And OH. The sudden realization dawning on Liam now. Well, that actually made a lot of sense. _Oh shit, Theo, what have you gotten yourself into THIS time??_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something about Theo is off. More than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter. Let me know what you think!

“But moooom”, Liam whined. He has been whining for the last fifteen minutes now, trying to convince her to “keep this poor homeless dog”. He just had no idea what else to do with Theo, and he couldn't just tell her that this dog wasn't actually a dog but a chimera designed by supernatural scientists who also used to be a cold murderous psychopath by the way. Hell, his parents didn't even know their own SON was a supernatural creature.

“I'm sorry, honey, but this isn't a perfect time to keep a dog. I'm not that heartless, and under other circumstances I'd think about keeping it at least, but I've already told you your aunt and cousins are coming for a visit this afternoon and you know very well how much of a dog hater your aunt is. If something happens to her precious boys, the relatives will hunt me down. So bear with me here a little”, his mom sighed.

Liam cursed under his breath. Of course it all was happening to him, of freaking course! He didn't even like Auntie Barbara that much, let alone her boys. The two were like pest. And they were only 9 and 11 years old. The beta wondered what was going to happen to them once they became older. Maybe jail. Yep, certainly jail. He still hadn't had the courage to tell his aunt that her beloved boys had been secretly smoking pot in the bushes when they came to visit a year ago. Back then Liam had the misfortune to witness it, so they kind of threatened him to “gut him in his sleep”. Of course Liam already was a werewolf back then, so he would heal if anything, but his cousins really had scared the shit out of him. And it wasn't like he really cared about whether they burned their own lungs anyway. He was just thankful he (still) hadn't any children of his own. And even if he did, he wouldn't raise them the way Auntie Barbara did. Whatever she was doing – she clearly was doing something wrong there.

“Can't I just go somewhere and take the dog with me?”, he offered, silently hoping to escape Auntie's visit and kill two birds with a stone. But of course he wasn't that lucky.

“No, Liam, you know how much your aunt wants to see you. She travels all the way from Kansas just to see you. And me. But mainly you”

Liam groaned. He really wasn't too thrilled about all the attention he was getting from Barbara. This woman was scary.

“Fine”, he said through gritted teeth. “But can I at least keep him in my room? If necessary, even in my closet. He isn't gonna bark, I promise”, he added, inwardly preparing to blackmail Theo into keeping still if necessary.

Jenna threw her son a skeptical look. Finally she sighed in resignation.

“Fine, you can hide it, but your dog has to be REALLY quiet. Not sure yet how you're going to manage doing so, but I really don't want to hear it. You know how your aunt is. She can literally smell if there's a dog somewhere nearby.” And it was true. Sometimes Liam was really wondering if Barbara was a werewolf as well. He shuddered at the thought. That would make her even creepier.

*****

“You heard my mom, Theo”, Liam urged, trying to shove the black wolf into the closet. Theo whined. He REALLY didn't want to go there. How long would he even be staying there? Only God knew. Wait, he still was an atheist. But whatever.

He still understood the gravity of the whole situation though, so eventually he actually went into the closet and wished for all of it to be a silent nightmare he was gonna wake up from. For the hundredth time now actually. Maybe all of this was still the punishment for all his crimes in the past? He was so far gone with his nerves now that he actually was starting to regret getting into argument with that bitch Amanda.

Liam blew out a relieved sigh at the chimera's obedience. At least THEO wasn't working against him today. That was fucking ironic.

Just then they both heard the dreaded sound of the doorbell.

“Stay and PLEASE don't make a noise”, Liam pleaded. “I've gotta go now”. With that, he closed the door of his bedroom and hurried down the stairs.

*****

The dinner was boring. Normally Liam would engage in some conversation while eating with his family, but with Auntie Barbara it was always the same: she just kept chatting with Jenna all the time, and the only relief to Liam was the fact that his poor mom actually seemed to become bored with all the chatting as well. She was just too polite to stop all of that. And her own sister didn't even notice and kept chatting and chatting and chatting.

“Let's play Hide and Seek!”, Hunter, the older brother, suddenly announced, quickly getting from the table and startling Liam into a near heart attack. Could werewolves get a heart attack? He was sure of that now.

To his dread, Hunter was facing Liam now, a dangerous looking grin stretching across his face. Oh boy, that couldn't mean anything good.

“Liam, you count!”, he announced bossily. And hell, the beta was a freaking WEREWOLF, so why in hell was he listening and surrendering to the wishes of those two evil creatures?! Oh right, because his aunt was even scarier than her children. Freaking genetics!

So there really was nothing else to do but to spin around, close his eyes and start counting, giving the brats some time to hide.

But the two didn't come really far. Because just around number 14 Liam heard a loud girly shriek coming from the younger boy Adam. Fuck, the scream was coming from his freaking BEDROOM. The room where Theo was in!

Ignoring the bewildered shouts of his mom and Barbara the beta hastily sprinted upstairs. The scream died down, giving way to loud sobs now. Oh boy, that REALLY couldn't be good.

Liam opened the bedroom door. Proving his fears true.

There was Adam, clutching at his bloody hand. And right in front of him was Theo, in his wolf form of course. The wolf was growling loudly while shooting daggers at the crying boy, his ears tightly pressed against his skull in a defensive manner.

“What the hell happened?!”, the beta hissed, wildly eyeing the boy, and then Theo.

Adam sniffed, trying to calm himself. “I was about to go and hide in the closet, but there was this dog and he BIT me!”, he pouted, starting to cry even louder now. Liam turned to Theo. He was gonna KILL him for this!

“Theo!”, he growled. “Why did you bite him?!! I TOLD you not to! BACK OFF!”

But Theo didn't even seem to listen. Now he even started to bark. To Liam's horror. And why was he even barking now???

So the only thing he could do now was hastily snatching the leash from the nearby shelve and trying to reach for Theo's collar, planning to drag Theo downstairs and bring him somewhere else. He didn't care if Auntie Barbara would witness them by now. He really didn't have a choice.

But once Liam tried to grab Theo, the wolf snarled at him as well. The beta stopped in his tracks. Never did he ever witness such a hostility coming from the chimera, not in his wolf form anyways. There wasn't even a sign of recognition in the wolf's eyes. That was new. And very confusing.

“Theo”, he tried in a gentle tone. “Come with me please, you really need to get somewhere else. Somewhere safe”, he offered. And he was telling the truth. He already had an idea where to bring him.

But the wolf didn't seem to understand him anymore. It was still sneering at him in a way only animals do. Liam's heart sank into his stomach. Something here wasn't right. But he really had no time to decipher what.

So he tried another approach. Stretching his arms in front of himself he took a careful step towards the chimera.

“Hey”, he tried again softly. “It's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you”. The wolf was still sneering at him, but his gaze didn't look so dangerous anymore. Taking it as a good sign Liam cautiously stretched his left hand towards Theo, letting him sniff at his fingers.

The animal sniffed at them and began to actually calm down now. Liam sighed in relief. Still keeping his fingers in front of Theo's nose he quickly attached the leash to the chimera's collar. The wolf didn't even seem to realize this action, still sniffing at the beta's hand, exploring.

“There's a good boy”, Liam mumbled subconsciously. But began to actually freak out at the chimera's lack of reaction to the praise. Because he knew that if Theo would still be able to understand him, he DEFINITELY wouldn't let himself be called a good boy. Not without snarking back.

So something here was wrong indeed. Liam REALLY had to find Amanda. Soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does the curse get lifted now?

“Mason, PLEASE please hurry up!”, Liam pleaded, after shutting the bathroom door hurriedly closing himself and Theo in. Away from the eyes of his shouting relatives. He couldn't let Theo anywhere near them. He wasn't sure though whom he was protecting from whom at the moment. On one hand, the chimera clearly took a disliking towards the two cousins and Auntie Barbara. On second hand, he was 99 percent positive that the said aunt would rip poor Theo apart once she laid her hands on him.

So all the beta could do now was to close himself with Theo in the bathroom and wait for Mason's arrival. Thank God the human had his own car. The pack had also already been informed, so they just had to get Theo safely to Deaton's clinic. Surely he knew what to do.

“I'll be here in five”, Mason answered already hanging up. Liam breathed out a sigh of relief.

Thankfully – and surprisingly as well – Theo had calmed down. Liam wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the fact that he was Theo's anchor after all. He HAD to be. He has had his suspicions for quite a while about it now. But the beta wouldn't ever tell Theo that the older boy was his anchor too. They didn't get sentimental with each other. So Liam was content with what they had so far. Friendship. Roommates. Whatever. But the things Amanda had texted him the other night still left Liam wondering over and over again whether there was more – from Theo's side at least.

Luckily for them Mason arrived even sooner than expected. He beeped urgently, indicating Liam to come over. Now that he thought about it the beta didn't have the courage to go upstairs to face the wrath of Auntie Barbara. So he hurriedly opened the big bathroom window and prepared himself to jump out into the garden. It wasn't that high at least.

“Theo!”, he pulled at the wolf's leash. “C'mon, you gotta JUMP if you wanna stay alive”, he hissed.

But Theo just gave a low growl and refused to go anywhere near the window. Liam sighed heavily. Just why was the chimera always being SO difficult??

... So he actually was gonna do that. He felt ridiculous ...

“Mason!”, he called, indicating his best friend to get out of the car. “You got it?”

Mason stepped out of it and actually had the nerve to snort at Liam's request, already opening the back of the car.

“Yeah, dude. That AND a camera. Theo is NEVER going to live that one down”, he grinned, retrieving a long rope of connected sausages.

“Um, I'm not sure I wanna be reminded of that one either”, Liam muttered under his breath and reached out to take the sausages as Mason swung it towards the window.

“Here you go, buddy”, the beta hissed, moving the sausages in front of Theo's nose. “Just follow the damn sausages and everything's gonna be fine”

The wolf sniffed at the sausages and it seemed to have woken him up from his stubborn state. Clearly the chimera was hungry. So he actually started to follow the sausages.

“There's a good boy”, Liam told him in encouragement. “Just a little bit more”. He was slowly inching towards the window. And just as they neared the open window Liam saw a light flash. He growled in annoyance, throwing the grinning Mason a sour look. Clearly, Mason was really enjoying himself very much right now, standing there with a camera and having no intentions to stop the shooting.

“Stop grinning, you idiot”, the beta hissed. “You will have to hold him. Step back!”. With that, he shoved the unsuspecting Theo out of the window. The wolf let out a startled bark and ended up on all fours on the grass. It immediately started growling, not liking this manhandling at all.

“Mason, just grab his leash and hold him, I'm gonna jump now”

Liam jumped. It REALLY wasn't that high. Once on the ground, he immediately snatched the leash from Mason. Then he started dragging Theo towards the car.

*****

So this was how they all landed in Deaton's clinic now. The pack was gathered in a circle, cautiously eyeing the still growling Theo. If anything, Theo seemed to be scared of them as well, with his ears being pressed flat against his skull once again. He somehow could feel their distrust and unease towards him.

“So, what now?”, Liam asked in a demanding tone.

The pack looked at Deaton instead.

“Well”, the doc sighed. “I'll have to put Theo into a cage for now, I'm afraid”, he answered gesturing to a very large cage. Liam's eyebrows rose into the air. What did Deaton even need a cage of such a size for? Horses?

And even though the cage was big, he really felt bad for Theo. The only good thing about it was probably that the chimera wasn't coherent enough to actively acknowledge his imprisonment. Otherwise it surely would be really degrading.

“I'm sorry, Theo”, Liam mumbled, shoving the wolf inside the cage. Theo let out a longing whine, stretching his snout towards the beta through the bars. Liam hesitantly began to stroke the soft fur behind the chimera's ears. “Good boy”, he smiled at his blissful expression.

Unfortunately, their private moment was rudely interrupted by an awkward cough of someone clearing their throat. The beta turned towards the pack. Of COURSE it had to be Stiles.

“I'm REALLY sorry to interrupt this beautiful bonding moment you're having there” - and he CLEARLY didn't sound sorry at all - “But the question is what do we do with him now? Do we leave him here or ...”

“What?!”, Liam suddenly shrieked. “You want to just LEAVE him here?!! Just like an animal??”

Stiles grinned smugly, snorting. “Well, he IS an animal, Liam. A very dangerous one.”

Liam fumed. “So am I!”, he spat, shooting daggers at Stiles.

But before he could get into an even bigger argument, Scott thankfully sprang into action.

“Liam, have you contacted the witch yet?”

Liam huffed. Of COURSE he had. He wouldn't let Theo down like this.

“Yeah”, he mumbled. “I've tried to call her multiple times. But her phone had been turned off every time. I tried to text her. She wouldn't answer. I've tried to find her on social media but it's like she doesn't exist there at all”, he threw his arms into the air, frustrated. “I ... I really don't know what to do anymore”

“It's ok, Liam”, Scott offered in a calming tone like the good Alpha he was. “We'll find her eventually. We just have to do some further investigations”, he continued, throwing Deaton a pointed look. The doctor nodded in silent agreement. “Meanwhile, I have to try something out. Remember how I roared to turn Malia back into her human form? This is the only thing we could try for now”. With that, the Alpha's eyes flashed red.

“Scott, what are you DOING??”, Malia hissed suddenly. “You realize Theo isn't pack, right?? So it wouldn't even be working!”

But Scott just threw her girlfriend an annoyed look. “Believe or not, I've considered Theo a part of this pack for quite a while now. He's changed and you can't deny it, whether you want it or not.”. Those words caused several surprised gasps coming from the pack. Malia growled, exasperated.

But Liam was smiling now, feeling happy and slightly lightheaded for a second. His Alpha was acknowledging Theo as a part of his pack? He knew that even if the chimera kept denying it, deep down he really wanted to be included. To be at home. So Liam was happy for him now. He would have to talk to Scott later about it.

“Try it!”, Liam nodded, holding Scott's gaze. “Please try it.”

So Scott focused his eyes on the black wolf in the cage and ROARED.

****

The small wolfish growls eventually turned into the human ones. _Wait, GROWLS?_

Liam blinked, surprised, his eyes focusing on the chimera. But as soon as he did so, he let out a girly embarrassing shriek and hastily covered his eyes with his hands, already feeling his face heating up furiously. He also was very aware of his pack throwing him bewildered glances. Thankfully, he wasn't the only one scarred for life now. Because just two second later there was Stiles doing some loud fake retching sounds as well.

“Ok, I REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO SEE THAT!”, the human shouted dramatically and quickly ran out of the room. Scott snorted.

But Liam couldn't blame him. He had every right to be embarrassed. Even if for a different reason than Liam. Not that he would tell it anyone of them.

Because right there in the cage was Theo, kneeling on the floor. A VERY NAKED Theo.

And it got even worse, because apparently Theo had NO SENSE OF MODESTY as he suddenly stood up and began to restlessly shake the bars, letting out scary inhuman growls. His eyes were glowing yellow and he was partly wolved out, but thankfully not a wolf anymore.

Malia, on the other hand, wasn't that much impressed with the chimera's appearance. She just let her own eyes flash at Theo and let out an equally dangerous growl in warning.

The reaction was immediate. Theo simply shut up and tilted his head to the side, studying the girl curiously. Liam snorted at their exchange, a light flash of jealously growing in his chest. So apparently this was some weird kind of coyote communication or something.

But now the chimera had calmed down at least.

“So you've managed to turn him back”, Lydia spoke, narrowing her eyes at the chimera. “But his mind is that one of a dog. How does this help us again?”

Scott shook his head, shamelessly studying the chimera too now. “At least he isn't gonna bite your head off anymore. He just doesn't have those teeth. I really hope he isn't gonna decide to turn back into a wolf or something. Um, Deaton, do you have any spare clothes in here?”

Deaton hurried into another room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna go sleep now :P


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo is getting dressed :P Also, some unexpected help arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have one more chapter left, guys!

A minute later Deaton reappeared, holding a pile of clothes. He wordlessly handed it to Scott, who immediately handed it to Liam instead. Liam looked at the clothes quizzically, frowning.

“Um ... What am I supposed to do with that now?”

Scott rolled his eyes fondly, partly amused by his beta's cluelessness.

“YOU have to go in there, Liam”, he answered. “You're the only one whom Theo trusts in the moment”

Liam's face began to burn even more now. “But ... I mean ... He's NAKED”, he protested lamely.

Scott huffed. “That's exactly why you have to dress him up”. Then he paused, eyeing the beta suspiciously. “Wait, why is that such an issue for you?”

Liam groaned, covering his red face in his hands. Then he took a deep breath instead, heading to the cage. But only, because he really didn't want to discuss his “issues with a naked Theo” with his freaking Alpha. Scott was like a dad to him for God's sake.

Upon seeing Liam, Theo immediately sneered at him defensively, showing his still shifted teeth. But they were nowhere nearly as dangerous looking as the ones of his wolf shape.

Liam cautiously stretched out his hand towards his face. Just like he used to do it with Theo's wolf. He couldn't deny that his hand was shaking at the moment.

Theo was still growling, but he didn't snap at the beta anymore. He was just eyeing his hand suspiciously. Then suddenly something seemed to snap into place, the chimera's eyes seeming to fill with a certain recognition. He let out a needy whine and nosed his way into the beta's open hand, purring.

“Shhhh”, Liam cooed. “There you go. I'm gonna open the cage and go in now, ok?”

But Theo still didn't seem to understand him. He just kept nosing at his hand, his face expression blissful once again. His face also lost his shift now, the golden glowing eyes giving way to the green ones. Currently those lovely eyes were closed in pure contentment.

Taking that as a good sign, Liam swiftly and almost soundlessly opened the cage and stepped inside, trying not to break contact with Theo's face for too long. Now the beta was standing there, one hand on the chimera's cheek, the other still holding the clothes.

He quickly lay them out onto the ground, picking up the jeans first.

“Um ... “, he blushed once again now. “How are we gonna do this, buddy?”

He pressed Theo's shoulders down a little, causing the chimera to gently lower himself onto his knees. Once the older boy was sitting there, bare-assed, Liam took the opportunity to carefully stretch out Theo's legs. He then hastily began to put him into jeans.

Once that was done, the beta breathed out in great relief. The hardest part was over. He really prayed he wasn't about to be faced with Theo's prick any time soon anymore. Because the sight of it suddenly made Liam feel all kind of confusing things (since WHEN even??). And that in front of his damn pack! It really couldn't get any worse.

After a few more minutes the chimera was thankfully clothed. Liam turned to look at the pack now. A pack, that was slightly gaping at the display between the two teenagers. Only Stiles was still nowhere to be seen. And why even was Scott looking at Liam with such a WEIRD expression on his face??? The beta really had no answer to that.

“Um .. right”, Liam cleared his throat awkwardly. “Now what?”

The pack seemed to wake up from their daze at that. “Now we just have to wait, I guess”, Scott sighed. “This, and maybe get Theo some food. To make him comfortable. Also I think a few blankets wouldn't hurt. We could make a makeshift bed out of it. He has to sleep somewhere after all.”

Liam snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. “Wait, you too now?? You really want to leave him just here?? For how long even?”

Scott took a step towards him tentatively. “Liam, I know what you're thinking, but how would you explain that to your parents? How would you explain that the Theo who has been living with them for a whole year now is suddenly gone feral? They probably would send him to Eichen House.”

Liam's hands began to turn into fists. “You know NOTHING about them!”, he protested heatedly. “They wouldn't do such a thing. They consider Theo as their child as well. I mean, what parent would even do that??”

Lydia coughed at that. “Mine did”, she said quietly, reminding him of the time Theo sent her into a comatose state. Liam cringed. She had a point. And if he was being honest, so did Scott. Liam's parents still didn't know anything about the supernatural yet, and he did intend on keeping it this way, for their own safety. So they didn't need to get some disturbing clues or insights into the supernatural world, the ones like Theo's current state for example.

“Ok”, he mumbled, resigned. “But I'm gonna stay at the clinic with Deaton here. I want to keep an eye on Theo”

Just after he finished, his phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the display, he frowned. That was his mom.

“Mom?”, he spoke into the phone.

“Liam, honey. Thank God I could reach you.”, his mom answered, relief audible in her voice. “I don't know where you are right now, but you really need to get home as quickly as possible. There are two ladies here, they want to talk to you. The one of them says it's urgent. The other says she knows you? Amanda is her name?”

Liam's heart rate picked up at that. Hope swelling in his chest.

“Y-yeah, of course”, he stuttered out quickly. “Amanda is the girl who I invited to visit us, remember? We parted our ways at first, but I guess she changed her mind.” He then bit his lower lip, quickly thinking of a plausible story. “Um, right now I'm at Mason's with some other friends, mom. Can you tell them to come over? I'll text Amanda the address. This way, she can meet my friends as well”

After his mom agreed, he hung up, quickly texting Amanda the address of Deaton's clinic instead. While feeling hopeful and relieved, he also began to get angry now. The girl really had some explaining to do.

****

The small bell on the door of Deaton's clinic finally rang, indicating the arrival of their two awaited visitors. There was Amanda, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room now. Behind her, a tall woman in her forties walked up to shake Deaton's hand.

“Hello”, she said. “I'm Josephine, Amanda's aunt. Her friend Liam texted Amanda to meet him at your clinic, Doctor Deaton. He said you all are aware of the existence of witchcraft?”

Liam all but ran towards the two of them, stopping in front of Amanda, who shot him a small shy smile. Gone was the bossy and confident young woman he had met during this summer. Yes, she was all that, but it was the confidence that Liam had been admiring in her the most. Now there was just a young shy girl standing there in front of him. The beta could literally SMELL the guilt radiating off of her.

“Why are you here?”, he deadpanned, closing his arms in front of his chest.

Just as Amanda began to speak, her aunt interrupted her, facing Liam. “I really have to apologize for what Amanda here has done to your friend. Theo is his name, right? A few days ago our coven registered a spell that had been cast by a member of ours. It had clearly been misused for some unnecessary amusement purposes. We don't use our witchcraft without necessity though. It goes against the philosophy of our coven”. The last sentence was obviously directed at Amanda, with her aunt sending the girl a pointed look.

“You have to know that the little Amanda here is still learning. She isn't anywhere ready to cast spells properly anyway. So let me repay you by undoing the spell. I believe you've mentioned in your text about Theo being in here? Let me see him”

Liam nodded. Inwardly, he was doing a dance now. “Follow me, please”, he asked politely. No need to mess around with those witches.

Once they were in front of the cage, Theo immediately pressed himself against the bars, snarling at the two newcomers, warily sniffing out their scent. Josephine raised her eyebrow in surprised confusion. Amanda, on the other hand, was now chocking slightly, the stench of her guilt reaching new levels of intensity now.

But her aunt recovered pretty quickly from her confusion. Slowly, she turned to face her niece, throwing her an icy glare.

“What exactly have you done to this boy?”, she demanded, leaving no room for argument. Amanda seemed to shrink under her glare. Hell, even Liam wasn't doing any better.

“I ... “, she stuttered, helplessly looking between Theo and Liam. Liam huffed. He wasn't going to help the girl out of this one. “When I first met Theo we kind of got into an argument, with him complaining about my dog and all? So I th-thought it would be funny to turn him into a dog as well? Just – you know – to teach him a lesson? I really didn't want him any harm, I swear!”

There was a short icy silence. It was then interrupted by Liam, who couldn't hold his frustration back anymore now.

“Well, CONGRATS, Amanda. You actually managed to turn him into a wolf!. He was TRAPPED in his wolf form, with his mind still being human and all! I can imagine it's really frustrating to be trapped like this when you can't even fucking speak?! And guess what happened after that? Something happened today, and now he cannot even REMEMBER me. His mind has been reverted to the animal one. We thought we could make him better by changing him back into human – and YES, we CAN do this – but now he is stuck in his human form with his mind STILL the one of a wolf. Or dog, or whatever!”

Upon seeing Amanda's expression of dread, and Josephine's furious one, the beta couldn't help but feel a short pang of triumph in his chest. He REALLY wasn't a fan of Amanda anymore. Hadn't been ever since he learned what she did to Theo a few days ago.

“Amanda Sophie, you DO realize that not only have you gone against the rules of your coven by terrorizing this boy's life, but you also clearly done the spell wrong, don't you??”, her aunt deadpanned. “The consequences that Theo was faced with aren't common for spells like that. So you better pray for me to be able to undo this whole damage here, young lady!”

Amanda just nodded shakily, her gaze glued to the floor in shame.

Sighing, Josephine took a step towards Theo. As if sensing her good intentions, the chimera stopped sneering, now just curiously eyeing the woman instead.

“Oh boy”, she said, studying the chimera. “She did a number on you, didn't she? Shush, please stay still for a moment. It's all hopefully gonna be over soon”. With that, the witch gently took his hands and placed them into hers. Then she muttered something under her breath.

Nothing seemed to happen for a moment. Only Theo's soft whining could be heard.

Then, the chimera suddenly gasped, stumbling backwards.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is getting cleared up. YEY!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is our last - and the longest - chapter I've written for this story. As always, I've been carried away, so there are even more things happening in this last chapter than I've originally planned. You wanted a happy end? I've got that for you! :D   
> Thank you for all your likes and comments. It literally IS what I'm living for as a true Thiam shipper. Also, I'd like to thank Grylvyn for supporting me through this story with every single comment. I'll see you in my other story :)  
> Anyway, enjoy!

Theo was gasping, continuing to back away from the bars, until he reached the opposite wall of the cage. He desperately began to clutch at his chest, once again wolfing out. He was pressing against it for several seconds, as if trying to hold back the animal that was once again threatening to come to the surface. It didn't seem working though. 

A loud animalistic growl escaped the chimera, and the pack watched in terrified fascination as Theo suddenly pressed his clawed hands into the inside of his palms, drawing blood. The blood was trickling freely onto the floor now. The boy's body went rigid with all the tension, visibly fighting with it's own self.

“Is it … Is it normal?”, Liam asked unsure, glancing at Josephine. But she simply shook her head grimly. “I can't tell. As the spell went wrong, there was to expect everything possible.”

Liam cringed at the sight. He really was feeling sorry for Theo now. The chimera seemed to be in a lot of pain.

Suddenly Theo let out a violent body shudder and abruptly sank to his knees. Everything went still. He was only breathing heavily now.

The pack held their breath, intrigued about what happens next. Then, they heard a low groan coming from the chimera.

“Oh fuck ...”, Theo muttered, his eyes tightly shut now. After a few more heavy breaths he finally opened them again, glancing up at the pack.

Then he looked briefly down at himself, taking in his new clothes. His eyes went wide then, as if remembering something. Once again he glanced up at the pack in horror. 

“If ANYONE of you ever says a word about Liam dressing me up, I will kill you so help me God”, he hissed without any real heat behind his hoarse voice. His words caused the said beta to blush furiously, his heart speeding up a little. This only earned him a few amused and knowing smirks from the pack.

Mason snickered. “I thought you were an atheist”, he announced smugly.

Theo shook his head tiredly. “Not after being trapped in THIS hell”, he muttered, pointing at Amanda.

The girl cleared her throat awkwardly, guiltily biting her lip. 

“Look”, she began, stepping towards the cage, where Theo still was. “I'm REALLY sorry for what I did to you … It was really childish of me to do such a thing.”

Theo observed her for a moment. Then, he surprisingly let go of his defensive stance. 

“No, don't be. I am the one who should apologize, really. I've been kind of a dick to you without any real reason”, he sighed.

Liam glanced at Theo, subtly exchanging surprised glances with his pack. Was the chimera really APOLOGIZING to someone right now? Huh, that was new. Maybe he has learned his lesson after all. The beta really had thought Theo was gonna be furious about the whole situation, and not easy forgiving instead.

Amanda also seemed to be surprised. But she quickly recovered then, a mischievous smirk appearing on her face.

“No, no … It wasn't ok, and I know there are gonna be consequences for me for doing such a thing. Also, maybe you're not aware of it yet, but there WAS a reason for you to not like me and be a dick towards me”

“How so?”, Theo frowned, exchanging a confused glance with Liam.

Amanda snickered. “You really don't know? I could literally FEEL your jealousy dripping off of you back then. You were jealous because you didn't want to share Liam with anybody else”

Theo chocked, his face coloring at a rapid pace now (because even if deep down he knew that was true, he was NEVER going to admit it out aloud). A brief glance at Liam told him the beta was doing no better, his expression the one of embarrassed horror now. As if things could not get any worse, Mason suddenly burst out laughing, quickly followed by Corey and Scott. 

“What?!”, Theo shrieked, his eyes going gold for a second. “What do you even MEAN? Me and Liam?! We … we are not even a THING!”, he protested heatedly. But his protests were getting lost in the laughter of the pack. Just freaking great!

“Oh yes, you are”, Amanda grinned triumphantly. “I could tell it back then already. And honestly, this may also have partly been the reason I cursed you. I was getting jealous as well. But seeing the two of you made me realize that I didn't have a chance in the end”, she winked at Liam. 

The beta groaned in embarrassment, shooting his pack – his own traitorous pack – a heated glare. Damn, they were supposed to SUPPORT him, not to LAUGH THEIR ASSES OFF!

“N-no!”, he protested weakly. “It can't be. I mean, Theo was clearly upset with your dog, NOT with him being jealous or anything. Because he told me he was afraid of dogs, remember?”

“WHAT?!!”, Lydia shrieked now, amusement reaching her too now. “Theo is afraid of DOGS??”. This caused Theo to close his eyes and seriously wish he could be with his sister now. This secret was NEVER supposed to face the world.

“I mean … He is nearly a dog _himself_!”, the girl proceeded, giggling.

Theo's eyes shot open at that, shooting Lydia a death glare.

“I'm NOT a dog!”, he hissed. 

But then Malia – even freaking MALIA – joined into the conversation. “But you ARE, Theo”, she smirked evilly. And the chimera really couldn't tell if she was amused or silently wishing to struggle him in his sleep at the moment. “I mean, you were all so CUDDLY with Liam. Like sniffing at his hand and even PURRING!”

Theo growled at her in annoyance. He threw Amanda an icy glare then.

“And why in Hell can I even REMEMBER that?!”, he hissed, his face burning even more now. “Why had you actually have to add THIS one to my torture??”

Amanda just looked sheepishly on the floor then, biting her lips to keep from smiling. She knew what she did was wrong and that she'd have to face the consequences for this later, but THIS here was far too amusing.

“Just wait to see all those photos I've shot with you following those sausages and Liam pushing you out of the window!”, Mason suddenly declared, looking even smugger now.

“I REALLY don't know what you're talking about!”, Theo hissed at him, turning away to hide his embarrassment. 

“Oh you REMEMBER that, don't you?” Why the hell couldn't Mason just let it go? Hasn't Theo been punished enough for all his crimes in the past??

“Oh you were”, Mason declared, and Theo realized with horror that he'd spoken this last sentence out loud. “But you have to understand that we wanted some blackmail material, just for some assurance, you know?”

Theo bared his teeth at that. “Why the hell am I still in this cage?? Just wait 'til I get out of here. Then we'll see if this 'blackmail material' is gonna safe you!”. But he didn't actually plan on doing anything. He was just tired and wanted to curl into a ball and sleep.

Fair enough, Mason didn't seem intimidated by the chimera's outburst at all. He just kept smirking.

Liam suddenly seemed to have woken up from his dazed state. The whole situation was getting too much for him.

“Oh right!”, he stuttered and quickly hurried over to the cage. “Let's free you”. With that he quickly opened the cage.

Theo let out a relieved sigh. But this sigh literally got stuck in his throat as two strong arms suddenly wrapped around his chest. Stunned, the chimera realized it was Liam hugging him tightly now. As if not enough, there also was a nose pressing into the crook of his neck.

“Liam?”, Theo asked, unsure what to do. It was their first proper hug and he REALLY didn't know what to think about it. Especially with the whole pack (minus Stiles – _where the hell was he anyway??_ Theo vaguely remembered him being there at some point of time) witnessing it. On the other side, this was more then Theo had been wishing for. At some point – and he dared to admit as much – he had begun to wish he were closer to Liam somehow. And now Liam was HUGGING him. And he really couldn't think past this at the moment. All he knew was that it felt GOOD. It felt like HOME.

“Shut up and hug me”, came Liam's muffled response. Theo chuckled, closing his own arms around the beta. The boy who'd freed him – literally THO TIMES now.

Once they parted, Theo glanced at Josephine, extending his hand to shake it.

“Hi. Um, thank you for helping me”, he smiled shyly. The older witch returned his smile. “Of course”, she said, slightly bowing her head in respect. “I only reversed what was done to you. You haven't deserved that.”, she threw Amanda another stern look. “So if there is ANYTHING that you want me to help you with in the future, just call me”, she said, handing Theo her number written on a small sheet of paper. “The same goes to your friends”, she looked at the pack and Deaton.

Theo shook his head at that, a small pang of something tightening his chest. “I'll keep it in mind, thank you. They are not my friends though. Maybe Liam, yeah. But I'm not with them”. He slightly growled at Malia's muffled retort of “damn right, you aren't”.

But that seemed to get Scott's attention now. Growling at his girlfriend in his best Alpha tone, he took a tentative step towards Theo.

“Theo”, he began, “I know we haven't had a great start, and you've done a lot of things nobody here would be proud of, but … I don't know if you remember this, but we were able to turn you back into human _only because I'm considering you as pack_. Have been for a while now. Because I can see you _trying_. Trying to be good. And this is all that counts.”, he finished, flashing his eyes briefly. And Theo was stunned – along with the rest of the pack – as his eyes shifted on their own in response to Scott's. A few seconds later, they began to water, emotion finally breaking through.

“You .. y-you mean it?”, he croaked out brokenly. Liam's hand suddenly clutched his in a calming manner.

Scott smiled, briefly taking in their joined hands. “Yeah”, he said. “Definitely”

Upon seeing Theo's stunned face expression, the whole pack – minus Malia – began grinning now. If Theo wasn't so emotionally drained at the moment, he would be embarrassed beyond end by the very emotional display he was offering here. Damn emotions! And here he was trying to maintain his bad guy attitude. It made him feel cooler after all.

“That's it!”, Malia suddenly retorted loudly, throwing her arms up in annoyance. “Scott, I'm breaking up with you!”

The pack gasped slightly. Except for Mason, who was still snickering. Dude, why the hell was he snickering now?? Clearly the human seemed to be having a general emotional breakdown today. Or was Theo missing here something maybe?

Scott's face was priceless though. It was a mixture of genuine puzzlement and horror, which made Theo smile involuntary.

“Honey?”, the Alpha said lamely. “What do you mean?”

Malia huffed exasperatedly. “I MEAN that I'm breaking up with you! It's either me or Theo!”

Theo frowned, already groaning inwardly. Man, was this girl a drama queen.

“Look”, he began tentatively. “Malia, please hear me out. I REALLY am sorry for what I've done to your pack. And I'm more than sorry about what I've done to YOU especially. Besides of murder of course. During my time in Hell I had some time to think about all that I've been doing. And all the actions that I've done ever since my return from Hell were the actions of a different person. And I REALLY really hope that you all have noticed that.”, he looked at every one of them now. “Because I really HATE that person that I was, and I'm working hard towards turning into a person you all could be proud of, including myself. Yes, I'm still having nightmares about my time in Hell, because that is something that has impacted me to my very core. But I'm also GRATEFUL for what you all made me go through, because the world I've been living in since I was nine had been dark and cold .. and hopeless. And once the Doctors were defeated, I was still there, in this cold place, craving for power. But in the end, it wasn't the power I needed. I'm still looking for this one thing that makes my life complete, but I'm almost sure it's right there within the reach”, he threw Liam a brief glance.

It left the two of them holding their eye contact, both Theo and Liam being captured by the intensity of the situation. Then suddenly there was sheer determination in the beta's eyes. And before Theo knew what was happening, the werewolf closed the short distance between them, pulling Theo into a fierce kiss.

Theo couldn't breathe now, his air being stolen away by the beta. He couldn't breathe and it left him lightheaded. Everything was spinning, but everything was also pulsing with life. And in this very moment he realized: THAT was what he'd been missing for quite a while now. And it made him feel complete. It made him feel like nothing – absolutely NOTHING – bothered him anymore. The only important thing was right there in front of him. It was Liam, and his love for the chimera. _Because he could definitely feel this love now._

After a long moment of blissful simplicity, the two of them parted. They were gazing at each other in wonder now, the realization of what was there between them doing its magic.

Then the moment was interrupted.

“I'm back, guys!”, Stiles shouted cheerfully, absently marching into the clinic. “I've just finished puking in the bushes across the street. Like really, I CAN'T stomach shit like that, really! What did I mi.. Oh THANK GOD Theo's clothed now... Wait, why is he not in his cage?! What are thinking? He's a DOG! Omg, I'm gonna die!”, he exclaimed, already backing away again slowly. 

But the pack just snickered. And Theo just rolled his eyes. He took Liam's hand and made his way to the door now.

“Relax”, he said dismissively, with slight amusement in his chest. “I won't bite you, you big baby”, he winked at Stiles, slightly brushing his shoulder with the human's one on his way out. Leaving the said human back standing there in speechless confusion. “Let's go home, Little Wolf”, he grinned at Liam, the other returning his smile shyly.

But deep down Theo already knew where his home was. Grinning, he made a mental note to officially thank Amanda later.

*****

“Um, guys? What did I just witness?”, Stiles asked, eyeing the pack still in confusion. “Like, did you just SEE that?? Theo can SPEAK. AND he'd been holding Liam's hand! What the hell did I miss?? Wait, who are YOU?”, he asked then rudely, eyeing the two witches suspiciously.

Mason snorted, awkwardly patting him on the shoulder. “You, my friend, have missed literally EVERYTHING. This is Josephine and Amanda. Josephine helped Theo to get rid of the curse.”

“Oh”, Stiles' eyes widened in realization, followed by slight embarrassment. “Um, sorry I've been rude. Please don't curse ME or anything now”. At that Amanda snickered.

“Also”, Mason proceeded, studying Stiles' face expression with a smug grin. “Theo is pack now. He and Liam have FINALLY gotten together. And Malia has apparently broken up with Scott”

There was a short silence. Then -

“WHATTTT???!!!” 

*****

A week later Amanda, who was back home now and currently grounded for THREE FREAKING MONTHS (which also included NO MAGIC AT ALL of course) received a big beautiful gift basket. 

With a note from Theo Raeken thanking her for getting him together with Liam and an invitation for the next school break in winter. 


End file.
